No Happy Endings
by ilmsih
Summary: Maria Martin - just your average high school sophomore, right? But when her friends - including her boyfriend - abandon her, and a new guy catches her eye, what will she do?
1. Day 1

Fifteen-year-old Maria snapped her cell phone shut and gripped it tightly in her hand. Resisting the urge to hurl it against her bedroom wall, she stiffly laid it down on the dresser. This was the third date in a row Antonio had missed. The first time his mom had made him babysit his younger sister; the second he'd had a test to study for; and now his mom told him he couldn't leave the house until he cleaned his room. _Yeah, right._ A year ago when they began dating, Antonio would have invited her over to babysit or study and he would have sneaked out to see her before his chores were done. Had something changed when he became a junior? Was he suddenly not allowed to have a younger girlfriend?

Maria and Antonio had known each other for over seven years. They'd been best friends through grade school and junior high. Her fifth and eighth grade years, when Antonio hadn't been at her school, had been the worst years of her life. At the beginning of Maria's freshman year, he had asked her if she would be his girlfriend.

Maria glanced at her watch and sighed deeply. It was Friday night, and right now she should be at Six Flags riding the roller coasters with Antonio. She didn't have to go to school Monday, so it could have been a lovely long weekend with her boyfriend. Instead, it looked like she'd be spending it with her horse. Not that she didn't love her horse; it just wasn't the same. _Oh, well, _she thought. _Starfire could use the exercise and I need to practice for the winter shows._ She was already wearing jeans, but she changed out of her cute new blouse into a plain sweatshirt and pulled on her knee-high shiny black boots before leaving the house with a bag of carrots.

Looking longingly at her parents' Cadillac, Maria rolled her bike out of the garage. At least the stable was close. She buckled her riding helmet on and tossed her gloves and treats in the basket. Eight minutes later, she was locking it to the bike rack at the stable. Carrying everything in her hat, Maria practically ran into the barn, calling out the horse's name, "Starfire?"

Halfway down the aisle, a big black stallion stretched his head around the corner and let out a piercing whinny. Though she knew better, Maria jogged all the way to his stall, unbolted the door, and threw her arms around his neck. His very scent calmed her as she buried her face in his mane. Starfire turned his nose and nudged her. "No, of course I didn't forget." Laughing, she pulled a long, thin carrot out of the bag and took a bite, then offered it to the horse. He bit it in half and chewed it happily. Maria broke off another piece for herself and let Starfire have the rest. Girl and horse shared several more carrots in this way.

Maria slipped the halter on the stallion's head and cross-tied him in the aisle. He was clean, but she curried him anyway; and by the time she was done, his coat gleamed. She hoisted her saddle on his back and tightened the girth. After warming the bit in her hands, as she always did, Starfire reached out for it. The midnight-black horse standing there with a perfect pure white star on his forehead looked so beautiful with the fluffy white saddle pad, shiny black saddle and bridle, and the royal blue browband.

Unhooking him from the cross-ties, Maria put on her helmet and led her Thoroughbred to the indoor arena, which was thankfully deserted. She just didn't feel like talking to anyone right now. Starfire stood still for her as she climbed the mounting block and swung on. Maria loved that about him – he always behaved perfectly. Of course, being a young stallion, he would toss his head, prance, spook, and in general play around; but when Maria became serious, he immediately settled down to business. As a reward, she did little things for him like warm his bit and gallop him whenever it was safe.

For five minutes, all they did was walk around the arena. Both horse and rider needed this time to warm up and get comfortable. Then with an invisible signal, Maria asked Starfire to trot. His gait was smooth and fluid; once you'd ridden it, you would never again be happy with any other horse's trot. The canter was just as good, if not better. Half an hour later, Maria had completely forgotten about Antonio and was ready to work.

Since she had entered a three-day event that took place in two weeks, she decided to practice dressage first. Starfire was excellent in all disciplines, but dressage was his weakness, if you could even call it that. Maria positioned him perpendicular to letter A and halted. In a real competition, the gate would be open and she would begin outside the arena, but this was good enough for now.

To a bystander, it would appear the horse began trotting of his own accord when it was really an invisible signal from the rider. During the half-halt and halt at X, the same was true. Starfire executed beautiful circles, transitions, and lead changes seemingly on his own, as if the girl were only a passenger. There was some truth to this; Maria certainly didn't have to work as hard as others might. They completed the six-minute dressage course flawlessly.

The second day would be cross country; however, Starfire needed more practice on the show jumping to take place on the third day. Maria dismounted and led him outside where some jumps were set up in a ring. Dropping his reins to ground-tie him, she analyzed the arrangement and developed a course in her mind. She remounted using the fence as a block, then trotted the horse in a big circle around some of the more difficult obstacles.

Nudging him into a canter, she pointed him toward the first jump, a simple oxer. Next was a triple combination of verticals. Starfire cleared each one easily, from the four-foot vertical to the triple oxer to the brick wall. They rode the course several times, each time Maria pushing him to go faster. In competition, speed was not necessarily the key, but if she practiced going quickly and accurately, she could make up for lost time if she made a mistake or knocked down a rail.

It was beginning to get dark out; her wristwatch said 6:48. Knowing she didn't have much time left, Maria guided her stallion to a grassy plain behind the barn. No hills, nothing to jump, nothing that could hinder a rider from going as fast as their horse would run. Starfire took off like a rocket with Maria in a half-seat, a huge smile on her face, gripping handfuls of mane. His hooves pounded on the earth; his mane and tail streamed almost straight behind him.

The wind slashed across Maria's face and threatened to rip her from the saddle. Starfire should have been a racehorse! Maria had been riding all her life, and five years ago her parents offered to buy her a horse of her own. It took months before she found the pure black colt at a breeding stable for Thoroughbreds, and then they didn't want to sell him!

However, though Starfire's sire's line could be traced back to Shem, the King of the Wind; and his mother's to Justin Morgan, the farm's expert said the colt would never amount to much on the track. Even at ten, Maria knew the horse would be fast and strong, but she wasn't about to say anything that could hinder her chances of getting him.

She named him Starfire for the star on his forehead and his fiery spirit. He was only a yearling, and completely unbroken, so Maria trained him almost entirely by herself. She had been the first to get on his back, and to this day, any other rider who mounted him was definitely in for a wild ride – like something you might see at a rodeo!

No matter what happened, Maria always had her horse to comfort her. She thought little of the fact that he was prize jumper and could be a valuable racehorse. She only loved his personality, his temperament; it wouldn't have mattered if he were a Shetland pony or a Belgium draft. Unfortunately for her, not everyone felt that way. She was the envy of every rider in the area, and as a result, had few friends. People seemed to think that she was overprotective of her horse, when really she was protecting them. She didn't _plan_ to have a stallion who just happened to be a one-girl horse.

By now the sun was setting, so Maria took Starfire back to the stable at a trot, then a walk to cool him down. She untacked him and gave him a long, well-deserved grooming. Afterwards, she led him into his stall and fed him a nice hot bran mash, and fresh, cool water.

Maria checked her watch, which read 7:23. And she still had to clean her tack! Using the phone in the office, because she had left her cell phone in her room, she called home and told her mom she'd be home in two hours. She said goodbye, picked up her saddle and bridle, and headed to the tack room in the back of the barn.

Maria pushed open the door with her foot and used her elbow to flip the light switch. She dropped the gear on a rack and left to get saddle soap and a bucket of water. She returned to see Antonio sitting there looking perfectly innocent.

Before she spoke, Maria put the cleaning supplies on the ground and took a deep breath. "What on earth are you doing here?" she asked, trying hard to control her anger and not doing a very good job of it.

Antonio put on an expression of hurt. "I tried to call you, but you never answered. I thought you'd be glad to see me."

"Yeah, if you hadn't just blown off our date!" Maria made no effort to suppress her fury. "It took you six hours to clean your room? I don't think so!"

"I told you; I had other stuff to do…" Antonio's voice trailed off when he realized she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

"Like what? Going on a date with another girl?"

"Maria, you know I wouldn't cheat on you."

"I thought I knew you, but now I don't," Maria was getting more hysterical with each word. "Every time I ask you for a date, you're busy. Don't you think I deserve a better explanation that that? Remember when we first met and you skipped football practice every Friday so we could be together?"

"Maria, hasn't that worn off now? Aren't we past missing practices and classes to be with each other?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we never see each other. How many times a day do we pass in the hall? Twice, _maybe_? And now that you're a junior, you have more homework. I get that. But you also have a girlfriend."

Antonio tensed, but he had to admit she had a point. "Okay, you're right. I'll call you next week." He glanced at his watch, "Whoops, I gotta go now. See you Tuesday." Standing, he laid his hands on her shoulders and stepped closer for a kiss. Maria dropped her head and pushed him away. As he left, he heard her muffled sobs from the tack room.

_November 13, 2007_

_Dear Diary,_

_ What's wrong with Antonio? I thought he loved me. Really loved me. Every time I ask him for a date, he's busy for some reason or another. Does he think I'm an idiot? Tonight he had the nerve to show up at the barn after blowing off our date because he supposedly had to clean his room. Like I said, does he think I'm that stupid? A year ago, he would have just come. He's changed and I don't like the new him. Oh, yeah, it was going great at the stable until he had to leave. Why? I don't know. He probably had to water the garden! What do I have to do to prove to him I'm worthy of his time? WHAT DID I DO WRONG?????_

–_Maria_


	2. Day 2

Maria woke late the next morning to sunlight streaming through the blinds. It was almost half-past noon! All she remembered was crying for who knows how long in Starfire's stall, dragging herself home, and writing in her journal. Now she was exhausted from a hard day yesterday, with the riding and then Antonio. Antonio. A fresh pool of tears streamed down her face as she thought about him.

She dragged herself out of bed and got dressed to go to the stable. She had a riding lesson in half an hour! Grabbing her helmet, gloves, and a plain bagel, she sped down the driveway on her bike.

When she arrived, seemingly hours, but really only five minutes, later, Julia already had her horse tacked up and was combing her mane. "Where have you been? We start in twenty minutes!" she exclaimed.

Swallowing the last bit of bagel, Maria replied, "I slept late. It takes me ten to tack up." True to her word, she was mounted and warming up in twelve minutes. Being on the stallion, feeling him move beneath her, almost made her forget about Antonio.

Julia soon joined Maria in the arena with her burgundy-bay Thoroughbred, Bellefire. The mare was a valuable jumper; but, like Maria, Julia only cared about her temperament; although she loved competing at high levels and winning more times than not.

At one-o-clock sharp, Nikki strode into the ring with a riding crop in her hand. "Ready to work?" she said, more as a statement than a question. Without waiting for a response, she told them to canter on the left rein. Maria turned Starfire in a tight circle and gave him the slightest touch with her outside heel to make him canter.

After several minutes of walking, trotting, and cantering on each rein, Nikki told them to dismount. Julia and Maria led their horses outside where a jumping course was set up. They swung back into their saddles and waited for Nikki.

"Maria, you're first. Trot the cross-rail; then canter the outside line. Over the vertical to the oxer and finish with the wall. Got it?"

Maria mentally rode the course before she nodded, "Yeah."

Pointing Starfire toward the cross-rail, she nudged him into a trot. The stallion hopped the poles, plainly asking for a more difficult jump. Maria pushed him forward into a canter and guided him to the outside line, three eighteen-inch fences in a row. Starfire practically stepped over them, wanting more of a challenge. Next was a two-foot vertical, which the horse jumped nicely. The oxer was about three inches higher, but the stallion never hesitated. As she cantered around the ring to set up for the wall, Maria remembered Antonio. She managed to turn Starfire toward the jump, but sensing her emotions, hesitated for barely half a second before taking the fence. Maria was thrown forward on his neck as his front hooves crashed through the wall. Nikki all but sprinted over to the trembling horse while Julia was frozen with shock.

Maria saw her instructor coming as she slid off Starfire's back. She was furious. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry. I just-" Maria was about to say she was distracted, but she really wasn't in the mood for another explosion from Nikki. "I just didn't set him up right, that's all."

"Looks like he's okay, so I can't yell at you for that. You were lucky. If you two are up to it, I want you to ride that jump again. Take the oxer first to set him up. Otherwise go back to the stable."

Maria mounted and rode Starfire in a circle. Without a word, she urged him toward the oxer. Nikki smiled to herself. She adored the girl and was hard on her for that very reason. They cleared the two jumps effortlessly this time around.

"That was not a blue-ribbon round, Maria," Nikki said. "I know you're doing show jumping in the Well-Rounded Stallions' Three-Day Event, but you need to practice hunter form for our winter show. I expect better. Learn to keep your concentration." Turning, she addressed Julia, "See if you and Belle can do the same thing."

Without making eye contact with her friend, Maria walked Starfire past the bay mare and halted him next to the fence. The other girl nudged her horse forward, riding the course flawlessly.

"Great job, Julia. I want to work with you over some higher jumps in the next ring. Maria, you need to get your act together if you're even going to have a chance at placing in two weeks. Stay here and work on some courses for the rest of the hour."

As she walked Belle out of the ring, Julia glanced back with an expression as apologetic as she could make it. Yet instead of being comforted, Maria burned with envy at the sight of it. _She_ was the better rider, not Julia! _She_ deserved Nikki's full attention, not Julia! She felt that no matter how well she rode, Nikki never approved. Maria turned Starfire and asked him for a trot. For almost an hour, she trotted cross-rails, never really making much progress. At last, she managed to ride one decent line and decided to end on a good note.

"What happened to you out there?" Julia wanted to know when Maria came in the barn. She had already put Belle in her stall and given her a bran mash. "You were like…terrible. And you're never terrible. What's up?"

"First of all, I was _not_ terrible. Nikki is just so unfair."  
Julia kept pressing. "But there's still something wrong. I can tell. It's Antonio, isn't it?"

"What's it to you? Antonio's just being a jerk, that's all."

Julia was immediately sympathetic, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Maria smiled, "Not right now." She slid Starfire's halter over his head and clipped on the cross-ties. He nickered gratefully when she unbuckled his bridle and took it off. Fixing the halter, she told Julia, "Thanks for being there for me."

The other girl said, "You're welcome. Speaking of, I need your advice about something."

Maria was on her way to the tack room with her back to her friend, so Julia couldn't see her roll her eyes. "Just a minute." To herself, she thought, _Why does she always complain to me?_

"So you know Alice and Myna, right?" Julia began.

"Yeah. Both from your junior high school. Alice Morgan was new in seventh grade and Myna Carter was there all three years. You're friends with both of them but they hate each other." Maria had heard so many stories she could probably give a life history of both girls.

"Right. Myna's the problem though. Alice doesn't mind me being friends with Myna, but Myna cares. I have to make a choice."

_No, you don't! _thought Maria, but she said, "Why do you have to choose? I thought you liked Myna and Alice."

"I do."  
"Then why do you have to choose?"

Never acknowledging the question, Julia went on. "No matter what, I would choose Alice."  
"But you two are always in a fight. That doesn't mean you can't be friends with both of them, but…" Maria picked up a curry comb and began brushing Starfire. "Just talk to them and tell them how you feel. They probably have no idea you're reacting this way."

"Alice doesn't mind me liking Myna, but Myna can't stand me being friends with Alice. I have to make a choice."

Maria finished with the stallion's coat and began working on his hooves. "You just need to tell Myna to get over herself. Tell her you choose your friends, not her. Not in those words, but you have to let her know how you feel."

"Thanks, Maria. I know I can always count on you."

Maria clipped a lead rope to Starfire's halter and unhooked the cross-ties. "Do you want to come over tonight? We could rent a movie."

Julia glanced away for a second before she answered. "I don't think I can. My mom is being so weird lately. She won't let me go anywhere."

"Well, I'm not trying to invite myself over, but what if I stayed at your house?" Maria unbuckled the halter and closed the stall door.

"Probably not. It's like my mom doesn't trust anyone. I have to text Myna and Alice and figure out what's going on. I have to figure this out. See you later. Thanks."

"Hope I helped," Maria called after her.

Julia turned around with a big smile on her face. "Of course you did. Bye!" She pulled her LG slide out and began to text as she walked out of the stable.

Turning to her horse, Maria said, "What is wrong with her? Does she even care about me? Starfire, I sure don't think so." Hearing his name, the stallion looked at her and nickered, a picture of innocence. Then he went back to eating his hay.

Seeing that he was comfortable, Maria checked on Belle, who had finished her mash and was now content to nap. It was only three-o-clock, but she mounted her bike and began to ride home. More now than before, she felt the bitter cold of Missouri's winter.

She was halfway to her house when a loud ringing startled her out of her daydreams. After nearly falling off the bike, she realized it was her cell phone. Maria braked and dug it out of her pocket and answered it, "Hello? This is Maria."

"Hey, Maria."

"Sam? Is that you?"

"Yeah. I just talked to Antonio."

Maria knew that couldn't be good, but she still had to ask, "And?"

The voice on the other line paused for a few seconds before answering. "He asked me if I wanted to hang out later today. I said no because I knew you two had a date…Thought you might want to talk about it."

At that moment, something happened in Maria's heart that she was never able to explain. She knew Sam Seymour from school; she'd talked to him in the halls, but she never knew he was this caring. If the boys' roles had been reversed, Antonio would never have called her.

"Hello?"

Maria jerked back to reality. "Oh…uh…yeah, if you really want to. Are you anywhere near Starbucks? I can be there in ten minutes."

"Meet you in ten minutes then. Bye."

Maria stuffed the phone back in her pocket. Really strange, that boy. But if he cared about her and would listen to her boyfriend problems, then she was willing to give it a try. Antonio _was_ the problem and Julia was too busy "figuring out" Alice and Myna to listen.

Sam was already seated when Maria walked into the warm store. She wasn't sure yet if she was thankful that it was crowded or not. He had chosen the couch farthest from the counter, where hopefully the employees wouldn't be able to overhear their conversation. She sat down, near him, not too close, not too far away. Nervous, she twisted a few strands of hair around her finger, suddenly realizing she probably looked terrible and smelled like horses. Sam, on the other hand, had combed his hair and she caught a whiff of nice-smelling cologne. He was a few inches taller than her five-foot-eight and had short, curly brown hair. She had a sudden thought that whoever was lucky enough to be his girlfriend must feel pretty special.

In an attempt to break the awkward silence, Sam quietly cleared his throat. "Do you want something?" He gestured toward the glass case filled with all sorts of desserts.

"Hot chocolate sounds good." Maria breathed a silent sigh of relief when he got up. It seemed only seconds later that he returned with two steaming cups.

"So…" Maria wasn't really sure how to start a conversation. "Don't take this wrong, but why did you call me?"

Sam tensed slightly. He honestly didn't know why he called her. "I guess I just felt sorry for you." Quickly he added, "I don't mean that. I talked to Antonio earlier today. I heard that you were supposed to be spending the weekend together, so I asked and he said you'd canceled on him." He paused here, looked down, and blushed. "I didn't think you were that kind of a girl. I could never believe you would blow off your boyfriend."

At that moment, his cell phone rang. He glanced at the display and looked at her. Although his eyes said otherwise, he asked, "Do you mind if I take this? I'll only be a minute." At Maria's nod, he pressed the talk button and put the phone to his ear.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Sam set his cup on the table, stood, and walked to the other side of the store. Maria could hear him speak, but not the voice on the other end.

"Rebecca, I'm at Starbucks…No, I can't go out tonight…I know. I'm sorry, but…You can't expect me to drop everything just because you don't plan ahead. I'll see you Tuesday, okay?...Bye." Sam sighed as he shoved the phone back in his pocket. His voice had gotten increasingly dejected from the beginning of the conversation, but when he sat back down, he tried to force a smile.

"What was that about?" she wanted to know.

"My girlfriend, Rebecca Parker."

She would never be able to explain it, but Maria felt something like a sharp pain inside her when she found out he had a girlfriend. Trying to be nonchalant, she asked, "What did she want?"

"For me to drop everything and take her to a movie."

Maria was silent for a few seconds. Her thoughts went to Antonio and how he never seemed to think of her when he planned dates. _Events, not dates,_ she clarified in her mind.

Sam's voice startled her out of the daydream. "Where were you just now?"

Looking up, Maria felt her face grow red. "Nowhere. Sorry about that."

"Antonio?" It sounded like he was unsure whether to state the name or ask it.

"Yeah, but I don't want to bore you with my complaints." Maria was dying to talk about it, but she barely knew Sam and didn't want to turn him off.

"No, it's really not annoying." He drained his hot chocolate, set the empty cup on the table, and turned to look her in the eye. "Maria, you are the most interesting girl I think I've ever met. I don't know why I never realized it before."

"Well, as long as you don't mind…" She gratefully plunged into the story. "I met Antonio in fourth grade. I was the new kid in a class that had been together since preschool; he was sort of the "outsider" in his class, and naturally no one wanted to hang out with us, so we started hanging out with each other. We just…clicked. And our friendship grew as we got older and then he left me in fifth grade when he went on to junior high. That year was okay, I guess; we weren't "together" or anything yet. Then I was in sixth grade and he was in seventh. Things started happening but then he graduated and left me there for eighth grade, arguably the worst year of my life. Besides not having Antonio there, my so-called girlfriends ditched me for reasons that I still don't know. That's another story for another day. Last year he finally asked me out – like on a real date. I remember that so well, being scared to tell my parents and spending hours trying on clothes looking for the right outfit. I mean, it was just a movie! He wouldn't even see what I was wearing for most of the date. Are you bored yet?" Maria had been staring into her cup, but now turned to look into Sam's eyes.

"No, I'm actually enjoying listening to you talk." His face was sincere, almost laughingly so, but she could tell he wanted to hear more.

"So last year was probably the best year of my life, except maybe when I was two and didn't have to worry about anything. But something happened over the summer and now it's like he doesn't want to see me anymore. And, yeah, we _were_ supposed to go to Six Flags yesterday, but _he_ had to clean his room." Maria's tone sharpened, and she took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Sorry. He met me at the stable last night at nine-thirty. Apologized and ran off again. And then today I had a riding lesson and did terribly and almost hurt my horse. And Julia is being…well, Julia." She looked at him again, her eyes honest. "Sam, you are the only good thing that's happened to me all weekend and the best thing in a long time. Thanks so much for calling me."

"Wow. I don't know what to say." He spread his arms in disbelief. "You just told me more in an hour than any girl – any_one_ – has ever told me in a year. Rebecca's never been this open, and we've been together for two years – since freshman year. She's in my grade, which is easier at times, but harder at other times."

Sam and Maria sat there talking until eight, when he reluctantly headed for home. Maria left at the same time, her face glowing, and not just from the heat of the store! She took a long shower and sat down with her diary to write.

_November 14, 2007_

_Dear Diary,_

_ Today was horrible and wonderful at the same time. My lesson was horrible. Starfire and I almost crashed! But at least Nikki wasn't too mad. Afterwards, Julia was acting like a brat – actually something worse that I won't mention right now. I don't know what it is with her and Myna and Alice. She keeps saying she has to make a choice, but never does! SHE IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!!!_

_ On a more positive note, Sam Seymour invited me to Starbucks for hot chocolate. Why didn't I realize how nice he is? He's a freshman, but of course he has a freshman girlfriend. Not that I think I could leave Antonio. I don't know. It's just so hard – maybe I understand Julia's situation more than I thought._

_ I told Sam all about Antonio, from when we met in fourth grade to last night at the stable. And he listened! I've never felt so close to a guy…except maybe Antonio. I'm scared. How can I have a boyfriend and like another boy who has a girlfriend? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?!?!?_

–_Maria_


End file.
